Spring showers have pushed back the timeline for a water emergency in Corpus Christi, but local residents might be wondering how recent rains compare to previous years.
Weather data from the National Weather Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show that May was wet in Corpus Christi. The Caller-Times has created data visualizations to help residents compare recent precipitation to historic data.
Nearly 8 inches of precipitation were recorded at the Corpus Christi International Airport. There wasn’t as much rain this May as during the wettest May since 2000, back in 2015 when more than 14 inches fell. But that’s still twice as much monthly precipitation as the average for May during the time period.
The chart below adds monthly precipitation totals in Corpus Christi to arrive at the annual precipitation amount for each year since 2000. This shows that 2026 started low, but precipitation rose sharply in May.
The current drought has drawn numerous comparisons to previous droughts, including in the 1980s. Since 1980, the driest years in Corpus Christi include 2011, 1996, 2012, 1989, 1988, 2025, 2009, 1990, 2000 and 1985.
Wet years include 1991, 2021, 2015, 1981, 2010, 2007, 1992, 2018, 2001 and 1994.
Drought conditions continue in Corpus Christi, but more rain will push back the date when the city’s demand will exceed water supply.
According to the city of Corpus Christi, a water emergency may not be triggered until 2027. A water emergency indicates that six months remain before water supply is unable to meet demand.
Key to this timeline is the amount of water available, which depends on water levels in reservoirs. Historically, Corpus Christi has relied on water from Choke Canyon Reservoir and Lake Corpus Christi.
In the late 1990s, the city of Corpus Christi completed the Mary Rhodes Pipeline, which brings in water from Lake Texana and the Colorado River. As water supplies have dwindled in the Coastal Bend region, the pipeline has provided a greater share of Corpus Christi’s water.
Olivia Garrett covers education and community news in South Texas. Have a story idea? Contact her at olivia.garrett@caller.com.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: How wet is Corpus Christi in 2026? Compare annual rain data here
Reporting by Olivia Garrett, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
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